• International Journal of Industrial Entomology and Biomaterials
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• v.8 no.1
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• pp.107-112
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• 2004

The combining abilities in the 5 newly evolved thermo tolerant breeds viz., SR6, SR7, SR8 SR9 and SR10 of silkworm Bombyx mori L. and their 15 hybrids were made in a line${\times}$tester crossing programme. Data were analysed for seven quantitative traits i.e., pupation rate, cocoon yield, cocoon weight, cocoon shell weight, cocoon shell ratio, filament length and raw silk percentage under optimum room temperature $(25{\pm}{1^{\circ}C})$ conditions (In case of high temperature $(36{\pm}{1^{\circ}C})$ stress conditions five economic traits except filament length and raw silk percentage) with 3 widely adapted testers i.e., KA, CSR2 and CC1 as lines (females) and testers (males) respectively. The performance at high temperature and low humidity conditions aye only taken into consideration for selecting the best lines/hybrids. Among the lines SR6 exhibited positive General combining ability (GCA) effects for pupation rate, cocoon yield, cocoon weight and cocoon shell ratio traits, followed by SR7 for pupation rate, cocoon yield and cocoon shell weight and cocoon shell ratio. Among testers, KA exhibited positive GCA effects for two quantitative traits cocoon yield, cocoon weight and CSR2 for cocoon shell weight and cocoon shell ratio under adverse temperature conditions. The hybrid SR6${\times}$CC1 and SR7${\times}$CSR2 exhibited significant positive Specific combining ability (SCA) effects for majority of the traits in high temperature stress conditions of rearing. The better parent value of heterosis(Heterobeltiosis) was exhibited by the hybrid SR6${\times}$CC1 for pupation rate, cocoon yield, cocoon weight and cocoon shell weight and SR7${\times}$CSR2 for all the trails evaluated under high temperature conditions. Based on the results, the lines SR6 and SR7 was judged as best combiners and the hybrids SR6${\times}$CC1 and SR7${\times}$CSR2 can be selected for commercial exploitation in tropical climate.

• Journal of Sericultural and Entomological Science
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• v.16 no.2
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• pp.1-34
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• 1974

These experiments pertain to various factors influencing the quantitative characters of cocoon crops in summer and early autumn seasons. Initially, in order to establish the possible ways of the silkworm rearing more than three times a year in Korea, the author attempted to get further information about the various factors affecting the cocoon crop in every silkworm rearing season. The trials were conducted eleven times a year at four places for three years. The field trial was conducted with 19 typical sericultural farmers who had been surveyed. At the same time the author statistically analyzed the various factors in close relation to tile cocoon crop in autumn season. The effect of guidance on 40 sericultural farmers was analyzed, comparing higher level farmers with lower level farmers ; and the author surveyed 758 non-guided farmers near the guided farmers during both spring and autumn seasons. In addition, another trial on the seasonal change of leaf quality was attempted with artificial diets prepared with leaves grown in each season. It was found that related factors to cocoon crops in summer and early autumn seasons appeared to be leaf quality, and temperature for young and grown larvae. A 2$^4$ factorial experiment was designed in summer season, and another design with one more level of varied temperature or hard leaf added to a 24 factorial experiment was conducted in early autumn. The experimental results can be summarized： 1. Study on the cocoon crops in the different rearing seasons 1) It was shown that earlier brushing of silkworm generally produced the most abundant cocoon crop in spring season, and earlier or later than the conventional brushing season, especially earlier brushing was unfavorable for the abundant cocoon crop in autumn season. 2) The cocoon crop was affected by the rearing season, and decreases in order of sire with spring, autumn, late autumn, summer and early autumn seasons. 3) It was Proved that ordinary rearing and branch rearing were possibles 4 times a year ; in the 1st, 3rd, 8th, and 10th brushing season. But the 11th brushing season was more favorable for the most abundant cocoon crop of branch rearing, instead of the 10th brushing season with ordinary rearing. 2. Study on the main factors affecting the cocoon crop in autumn season 1) Accumulated pathogens were a lethal factor leading to a bad cocoon crop through neglect of disinfection of rearing room and instruments. 2) Additional factors leading to a poor cocoon crop were unfavorable for rearing temperature and humidity, dense population, poor choice of moderately ripened leaf, and poor feeding techniques. However, it seemed that there was no relationship between the cocoon crop and management of farm. 3) The percentage of cocoon shell seemed to be mostly affected by leaf quality, and secondarily affected by the accumulation of pathogens. 3. Study on the effect of guidance on rearing techniques 1) The guided farms produced an average yearly yield of 29.0kg of cocoons, which varied from 32.3kg to 25.817g of cocoon yield per box in spring versus autumn, respectively. Those figures indicated an annual average increase of 26% of cocoon yield over yields of non-guided farmers. An increase of 20% of cocoon yield in spring and 35% of cocoon yield in autumn were responsible. 2) On guided farms 77.1 and 83.7% of total cocoon yields in the spring and autumn seasons, respectively, exceeded 3rd grade. This amounted to increases of 14.1 and 11.3% in cocoon yield and quality over those of non-guided farms. 3) The average annual cocoon yield on guided farms was 28.9kg per box, based on a range of 31.2kg to 26.9kg per box in spring and autumn seasons, respectively. This represented an 8% increase in cocoon yield on farms one year after guidance, as opposed to non-guided farms. This yield increase was due to 3 and 16% cocoon yield increases in spring and autumn crops. 4) Guidance had no effect on higher level farms, but was responsible for 19% of the increases in production on lower level farms. 4. Study on the seasonal change of leaf quality 1) In tests with grown larvae, leaves of tile spring crop incorporated in artificial diets produced the best cocoon crop; followed by leaves of the late autumn, summer, autumn, and early autumn crops. 2) The cocoon crop for young larvae as well as for grown larvae varied with the season of leaf used. 5. Study on factors affecting the cocoon crops in summer and early autumn A. Early autumn season 1) Survival rate and cocoon yield were significantly decreased at high rearing temperatures for young larvae 2) Survival rate, cocoon yield, and cocoon quality were adversely affected by high rearing temperatures for grown larvae. Therefore increases of cocoon quantity and improvement of cocoon quality are dependent on maintaining optimum temperatures. 3) Decreases in individual cocoon weight and longer larval periods resulted with feeding of soft leaf and hard leaf to young larvae, but the survival rate, cocoon yield and weight of cocoon shell were not influenced. 4) Cocoon yield and cocoon quality were influenced by feeding of hard leaf to grown larvae, but survival rate was not influenced by the feeding of soft leaf and hard leaf. 5) When grown larvae were inevitably raised at varied temperatures, application of varied temperature in the raising of both young and grown larvae was desirable. Further research concerning this matter must be considered. B. Summer season 1) Cocoon yield and single cocoon weight were decreased at high temperatures for young larvae and survival rate was also affected. 2) Cocoon yield, survival rate. and cocoon quality were considerably decreased at high rearing temperatures for grown larval stages.

• International Journal of Industrial Entomology and Biomaterials
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• v.7 no.1
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• pp.59-63
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• 2003

In the present study, hybrid vigour in terms of heterosis and over dominance of newly evolved bivoltine hybrids and their reciprocals raised from the promising newly evolved bivoltine breeds were calculated for the important parameters like pupation, cocoon yield, cocoon weight, shell weight, shell ratio, raw silk percentage, filament length and neatness. Through there was no significant difference among the hybrids for the characters pupation, cocoon yield and cocoon weight, the magnitude of heterosis and over dominance were varied significantly for these characters. However, significant differences were observed between new hybrids and control hybrid for the characters like cocoon shell weight, cocoon shell ratio, filament length and raw silk percentage. The results indicate that majority of new hybrids have shown higher heterosis and over dominance than control hybrid. The data also indicate that highest mean heterosis of all new hybrids was recorded for cocoon yield followed by filament length. Whereas highest mean over dominance was recorded for cocoon yield followed by cocoon weight. Negative mean heterosis and over dominance were recorded for the trait cocoon shell ratio. Based on the results, the importance of three hybrids viz., CSR2 ${\times}$ CSR4, CSR2 ${\times}$ CSR5 and CSR3 ${\times}$ CSR6 and their reciprocals (CSR4 ${\times}$ CSR2, CSR5 ${\times}$ CSR2 and CSR6 ${\times}$ CSR3) which exhibited significant heterosis and over dominance, for commercial exploitation was discussed.

• Journal of Sericultural and Entomological Science
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• v.39 no.2
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• pp.205-209
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• 1997

In a line X tester crossing programme (24 lines 2 testers) the general combining ability (GCA) and specific combining ability (SCA) effects were analyzed for five economic characters in the bivoltine silkworm, Bombyx mori L. The results showed desired GCA effects in 934D1 (9500), 934B (9789) and 934A1 (9855) for cocoon yield per 10,000 larvae brushed by number. Likewise, the lines found to be superior based on GCA effects for other characters were as follows; 931D (14.040 Kgs), 935E (17.023 Kga.), 934D1 (15.643 Kgs.) and 934B (15.687 Kgs.) for cocoon yield by weight: 931D (1.717 g) and 930E (1.796 g) for single cocoon weight; 932B (0.330 g) for single shell weight: 931D (1.717 g) and 930e (1.796 g) for single cocoon weight; 932B (0.330 g) for single shell weight; 932B (18.7%), 933A (18.86%) and 935A (19.89%) for shell ratio. SCA effects showed the superiority of 932D$\times$KA (9822 cocoon yield per 10,000 larvae brushed by number); 932A$\times$NB4D2 (16.933 Kgs. cocoon yield per 10,000 larvae brushed by weight); 931C$\times$KA (1.911 g single cocoon weight); 934$\times$NB4D2 (0.371 g single shell weight and 21.0% shell ratio). The analysis indicated non-additive gene action for all the five characters.

• Journal of Sericultural and Entomological Science
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• v.29 no.2
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• pp.7-14
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• 1987

Extensive studies were undertaken to analyze the genetic basis of economically important quantitative characters in the silkworm by diallel crosses of four inbred lines differing widely in silk yielding ability. Some differences between the reciprocal corsses were detected in cocoon weight, cocoon shell weight, cocoon filament length and cocoon filament weight in case the parental lines were greatly differenent each other in silk yielding ability. The general combining ability (GCA) varied with the inbred lines and M242, a Chieese sexlimited larval marking variety showed high GCA value in the economic characters, such as cocoon yield, cocoon weight, cocoon filament length and weight, and raw silk percentage. The highest heterosis effect, about 13% to 14% was seen in cocoon and raw silk yield and it was low in cocoon reelability and raw silk percentage with less than 1%. It is advisable to improve highly heritable quantitative characters such as larval duration, cocoon shell weight, cocoon filament length and raw silk percentage by means of selection, and to select single crosses with high heterosis effect for cocoon weight and cocoon yield which show overdominance. Genetic correlation should be considered when more than two characters are targets for improvement and selecting high cocoon shell weight is effective to breed high silk yielding varieties. It is difficult to improve cocoon reelability because of low heritability (0.11) and its negative correlation with cocoon-silk quality.

• International Journal of Industrial Entomology and Biomaterials
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• v.30 no.2
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• pp.31-39
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• 2015

Antheraea mylitta Drury (Lepidoptera: Saturniidae) is a commercial silk producing forest insect of India, but it has never been experimented in Uttarakhand state in spite of the huge availability of its forestry host plants. This is the first study on A. mylitta in Uttarakhand. The goal of this study is to introduce forest based commercial rearing of A. mylitta, in tropical forest areas of Uttarakhand to reduce poverty among forest dependent people. In current study, we assessed the effect of seven forest tree species, rearing seasons, and their interactions on cocoon productivity of Daba (bivoltine) ecorace of A. mylitta in the New Forest of FRI, Dehra Dun during 2012 and 2013 and collected the data that was analysed by two-way completely randomized block factorial design. Post HOC Tukey's HSD test was carried out to compare the homogeneous pairs of means. We also carried out Evaluation Index analysis to rank the tested forestry host plants for better growth and development of A. mylitta under the climatic condition of Uttarakhand. Analysis of variance indicated that cocoon yield of A. mylitta differed significantly between rearing seasons (DF=1, F=88.24, p<0.05) and host plants (DF 6, F= 368.63, p<0.05); however, their interactions were found insignificant (DF=6, F=0.99, p>0.05). In first rearing season of July-August, there was higher cocoon yield than the second season of September-November. Results indicated that Terminalia alata fed larvae showed significantly higher cocoon yield (164.11 cocoons/300 larvae); followed by, T. tomentosa (148.89 cocoons), T. arjuna (140.00 cocoons) and Lagerstroemia speciosa (129.47 cocoons) fed larvae. Whereas, Lagerstroemia tomentosa fed larvae that was used by the first time in India, showed lowest cocoon yield (48.81 cocoons), followed by T. chebula (72.53 cocoons) fed larvae. Cocoon yield of T. tomentosa and T. arjuna fed larvae of A. mylitta did not differ significantly with each other.

• Journal of Sericultural and Entomological Science
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• v.13 no.2
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• pp.155-160
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• 1971

This experiment was carried out to investigate the cocoon reeling condiditions required to technical balance work on the automatic silk reeling machine. The results obtained were as follows. 1) Reasonable reeling velocity with regard to raw silk yield and to reeling efficiency varied according to cocoon reelability. It was observed to be about 150m/min on good reelability cocoon (850m of nonbreaking bave length), about 120m/min on medium reelability cocoon (650m of nonbreaking bave length) and from 90m/min to 120m/min on bad reelability cocoon (500m of nonbreaking bave length) 2) Low temperature drying of cocoon (T$_3$) improved the reelability of cocoon, but increased the reeling accidance with deteriorating the quality of raw silk more than the control(T$_1$) or high temperature drying of cocoon (T$_2$). No significant difference was observed in its raw silk yield and silk by-product with regard to cocoon drying temperature. 3) Incomplete drying of cocoon (T$_3$) improved the reelability of cocoon, but increased the reeling accidance with deteriorating the quality of raw silk more than the control(T$_1$) or over drying of cocoon(T$_2$). No significant difference was observed in its raw silk yield and silk by-product with regard to cocoon drying degree. It was cocoon drying condition of cocoon was the control(T$_1$) or high temperature(T$_2$) rather than low temperature (T$_3$) in cocoon drying process. Control (T$_1$) or over drying of cocoon (T$_2$) was adequate rather than incomplete drying of cocoon (T$_3$) for the improvement of the quality of raw silk on the automatic silk reeling process. 4) It was found that the reasonable cooking condition of cocoon was optimum cooking with 4$0^{\circ}C$ of reeling temperature or incomplete cooking with 45$^{\circ}C$ of the reeling temperature in the automatic silk reeling of the domestic cocoon.

• Journal of Sericultural and Entomological Science
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• v.17 no.1
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• pp.1-26
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• 1975

These studies were attempted to find out the optimum silk reeling system by use of automatic silk reeling machine to increase raw silk yield and reeling efficiency with various silk reelable cocoons. The obtained results are as follows; 1. The mean silk reelability ratio(X)of the Korean cocoons during the last ten years was 61 per cent, beside 64.7 per cent in autumn cocoon and 57.3 per cent in spring cocoon. However, the ratio variation of autumn cocoons was larger than that of spring cocoons. 2. A positive correlation between cocoon filament breaks during its process and silk reelability levels was shown to be significant. The cocoons of both poor and good reelability evidenced "J" shape distribution on the filament break graph by the order of reeling cocoon end. Many bave breaks were found at the inner shell of the cocoons, or in case of poor reelability cocoons. 3. The morphology of broken cocoon ends during the process was classified into A, B, C, D, E and F types, The occurrence of B type was majority, but that of F type was minority among them. 4. In case of the cocoon cooking, H-type ion-exchanged soft water was better for good reelability cocoons, Na and H-type ion exchanged neutral soft water for those of fair reelability, and alkaline (Na-type) soft water for those of poor reelability, respectively. 5. The modification of cooking water by mixing the above different types of water (50％ Na-type and 50％ H-type passed by standard natural water; 75％ Na-type and 25％ H-type passed by hard natural water; 25％ Na-type and 75％ H-type passed by soluble natural water) made higher yield of raw silk with tess breaks of thread. 6, In case cocoon ends groping water included sodium hexametaphosphate as much as 800 ppm. the groping efficiency and raw silk yield of cocoon was improved. The effect was pronounced in case of poor reelability cordons. 7. The most reasonable cocoon cooking and silk reeling condition for automatic silk reeling process were observed to be rather incomplete cook with good reelability cocoons and optimum cook with poor reelability cocoons succeeded by the reeling bath temperature of 45$^{\circ}C$, 8. The reasonable silk reeling velocities were observed to be about 150m per min. for good reelability cocoons, 120m per min. for fair reelability ones and 90 to 120m per min. for poor reelability ones. 9. In order to improve the raw silk yield of cocoons and reeling efficiency, the cocoon stand-by-ratio for reeling should be kept at the level of 40 per cent for good reelability cocoons or at 60 per cent for poor reelability ones beside necessary end found cocoon condition.

• International Journal of Industrial Entomology and Biomaterials
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• v.7 no.1
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• pp.29-36
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• 2003

Phytoecdysteroids with moulting hormone (MH) activity induce different responses in silkworms when used on different day of final instar, which can be manipulated for maximum benefit like early and uniform spinning behaviour, reducing crop loss and to increase cocoon yield. The results showed that application of this hormone on seed crop viz., CSR2, CSR4 and BL44 and BL67 in early stage of 5$^{th}$ instar i.e., at 72 hrs and 96 hrs though induced early and uniform spinning behaviour, there was an adverse effect by 9-36% on the economic characters like cocoon yield, cocoon weight, cocoon shell weight and also on fecundity etc. Application of this hormone in late stage of $5^th$ instar i.e., at the onset of spinning showed non-significant variations in some of the characters like cocoon weight, cocoon shell weight, cocoon shell ratio and fecundity. The physiological implications of phytoecdysteroid in hastening the maturation events and synchronization of spinning activities in different breeds are discussed.

• Journal of Sericultural and Entomological Science
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• v.25 no.2
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• pp.65-68
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• 1984

This survey was to realize the foreign cocoon quality and to provide data for suitable reeling conditions. Cocoons were inported from Taiwan (7 packs) and Hongkong (12 packs) in 1983. The practical inspection and classiffication of above cocoon was performed at Provincial Institute of cocoon testing and tested data were collected to evaluate the cocoon quality. The results were as follows. 1. It showed higher variation of the average raw silk yield percentage and cocoon assorting rate than domestic cocoon. 2. In view of the low quality products, cocoon price was expensive and most of packs were evaluated as inferior grade. 3. It was supposed that importing the superior quality cocoon from foreign country may be contributed to manufacturing of silk commodity of higher grade.